C

harles Champion was in Sydney "Our engineers are continuously tugs, powered by electric motors. The
to deliver the keynote Kingsford encouraged to think widely and come up company says that no landing gear
Smith lecture to the society and with 'disruptive' ideas which will assist our redesign will be required and the system
took the opportunity to brief industry in meeting the 2050 targets we have will be capable of 'moving' an aircraft at
journalists on Airbus' vision for signed up to," he said. 20 miles an hour (32km/h).
2050, The Future by Airbus'. "These and the other tough environmental On arrival, the aircraft's engines can
Airbus believes it takes 20 years to targets will only be met by a combination therefore be shut down sooner, reducing
develop a significant step-change in aircraft of investment in smarter aircraft design both fuel burn and CO2 emissions, says
technology and a programme will typically and optimising the environment in which Airbus.
run for 30 years. Assuming that the last the aircraft operates. That is why our latest "Technology could optimise an aircraft's
aircraft built will fly for another 30 years, 'Future by Airbus - Smarter Skies' concepts position after landing with enough accuracy
Champion says manufacturers must therefore focus on not just what we fly, but how we for an autonomous, renewably-powered
consider an 80-year cycle for technology. may fly in 2050 and beyond. taxiing carriage to be ready - so aircraft
Passenger demand for more comfort and According to Champion, there is no could be transported away from runways
efficiency, environmental considerations and 'skunk works' inside Airbus; rather, concepts quicker, which would optimise terminal
financial pressure will drive the technological are managed in an informal manner within space and remove runway and gate
change in aircraft design, he said. In the Airbus Innovation Cells in France and limitations," it says.
addition, the world's population will increase Germany. A smaller cell has recently opened
by 50% in the next 40 years and there will be in India, employing just four people. Assisted Take Off-
four or five times more aircraft in the sky than The results of the work on innovation form
today. the 'Future by Airbus' concept, which will
'Eco Climb'
And it's not only the aircraft themselves. continue to evolve as the next generation of Airbus' 'Eco Climb' concept involves aircraft
"Queen Elizabeth isn't the only one with aircraft and air traffic management systems carrier-style operations with aircraft launched
a Diamond Jubilee - the current air traffic get closer. into the air by electromagnetic catapult
management system has been around for just and making arrested landings, energy from
as long," he told patrons. "Our kids can play Low Emission Ground which is absorbed and stored by airport
with their mates using digital connections, but infrastructure for re-use.
our pilots still have to use VHF."
Operations - 'E-Taxi' The company says this will allow steeper
Airbus believes that taxiing aircraft burn climbs to more fuel-efficient altitudes and
The Future by Airbus in excess of nine million tonnes of fuel minimise noise impact on the surrounding
every year and add an average 13-minute area while requiring shorter runways,
Champion said Airbus has been working on delay to every flight. E-taxi is a concept reducing airport 'footprint'.
several innovative concepts, which together to power the aircraft on the ground The concept requires aircraft to be
form the 'Future by Airbus' concept. using tow bar-less aircraft guidance launched from a carriage which is accelerated

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THE FUTURE BY AIRBUS TECHNOLOGY

along the runway, but they would still require through a reduction in drag and resultant service the aircraft's water and waste systems,
conventional landing gear in the interim, for lower energy consumption. thereby saving weight and conserving water
diversions etc. The company says a recent test flight resources, says Airbus.
between Brussels and Stockholm saved
Free Glide, 20 minutes and 725kg (1,600Ib) of fuel, Future Air Travel
while reducing CO2 emissions by 2,283kg
Low-Noise Approaches (5,033Ib). And what of the future? Airbus is looking
Airbus claims that better use of the air traffic at technologies such as bionic structures,
management system could allow aircraft of Biofuels and Infrastructure which mimic the structure of birds;
the future to make 'glide' approaches with biopolymer membranes, which can provide
engines reduced to flight idle - reducing The use of biofuels in aviation is becoming transparency or light at command; morphing
noise footprint and landing distance as more common as airlines and aircraft materials, which have a 'memory' and could
approaches can be made slower. manufacturers embrace the technology. conceivably change shape at will; and self-
"With better air traffic management, Airbus is naturally very involved with their reliant surface protection materials, which are
aircraft could enter a fuel-efficient descent introduction, but the 'Future by Airbus' able to 'repair' themselves.
based on when best to leave cruise level, programme is also considering altemative Many of the concepts illustrated in the
with no risk of getting stuck in traffic," says forms of energy such as electricity, hydrogen accompanying pictures may seem fanciful
Airbus. "Slower landing speeds would lead and solar power. to air travellers of today, but if 'Future by
to shorter runways, by up to one-third, and "Airbus is acting as a catalyst for Airbus' technologies are proven to be
more efficient land use could see airport
capacities increase or new micro-airports
sustainable biofuels through an ambitious
programme to form regional biofuel 'value
viable, air travel in 2050 will be a very
different experience.
0
[created] close to 'mega-city' centres." chains' in every continent, using Roundtable
on Sustainable Biofuels criteria to guarantee
Air Traffic Management - sustainability. Five such value chains have
already been established in Australia, Brazil,
'Express Skyways' the Middle East, Romania and Spain," the
According to Airbus, future 'highly intelligent' company says.
aircraft will be capable of 'self-organisation' "While it's not foreseeable that fuel cells
to select the most efficient route - a so-called would be used for commercial aircraft
'free flight' concept. propulsion, they are one of the most
This would also involve high-frequency promising 'step change' technologies to
routes having aircraft flying in formation (at power cabin configurations."
about a 20-wingspan separation) which, says For example, the by-product of hydrogen
Airbus, will bring efficiency improvements combustion is water, which could be used to

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